How Real Madrid changed system to win at Wembley

Real Madrid won a record-extending 15th European Cup with two late goals in a Champions League game that they once again could so easily have lost. Borussia Dortmund were the better team for much of the final, but it was Madrid who took the chances and the trophy at Wembley. Their record in the competition is astounding, with this being their sixth success in just 12 years. Carlo Ancelotti has overseen three of those triumphs, taking his personal European Cup tally to an unmatched seven – including two as head coach of AC Milan, and two as a player with the Italian club.

Dortmund – like Atlético Madrid in 2014 and 2016, and Liverpool in 2022 – will look back and rue wasted opportunities. The German side had been written off by many, given Madrid’s imperious record and their own fifth-place finish in the Bundesliga. Yet they created a number of good chances to take the lead, against disjointed opponents who struggled to get a foothold until well into the second half.

Karim Adeyemi missed two first-half chances for Dortmund, while Niclas Füllkrug hit the post. Ancelotti – who has won two more European Cups than any other manager – knew better than anyone what that could mean. “In football, when you don't take your chances, the risk of conceding or losing the lead is very high,” the Italian master said after the game.

Madrid found their spark when it mattered. Dani Carvajal’s headed opener from a Toni Kroos corner seemed to deflate Dortmund as much as it confirmed Madrid’s belief that they would do it again. Nine minutes later, Vinícius Júnior doubled the lead, after Ian Maatsen had needlessly given the ball away to Jude Bellingham. If any confirmation were needed that it was to be Madrid’s night, an 87th-minute Füllkrug header was then ruled out for offside. 

How the managers saw it

“They played better than us, but they left us with options, with the game even, and in the second half, when we played better and with more balance, we won the game.” said Ancelotti. “Dortmund did very well and we didn’t have balance. We lost the ball in the opposition half and we weren’t well-positioned. We changed the system to 4-3-3 and it worked out better, as did the attitude in the second half. In the dressing room, we were quite calm and we discussed the change of system together. The players agreed to change it and we did.”

“It was a game full of mistakes and it’s about how you react to them,” said Edin Terzic. “When you see how we lost the momentum of the game through a set-piece, then this is something we have to learn from. We were always dangerous with the ball, but we couldn’t manage to score and that was why we didn’t win the game.”

Below, our UEFA-licensed coaches highlight the key tactical points from this Champions League final…

Back-three build-ups

Real Madrid converted into a 3-5-2 structure in possession, and built with a converted trio of the two centre-backs plus Toni Kroos (below) against Dortmund’s 4-2-3-1 defensive shape. Both Madrid full-backs moved forward, but Dani Carvajal advanced much higher than Ferland Mendy. In midfield, Fede Valverde and Jude Bellingham played as number eights, running forward through the inside channels. In attack, Rodrygo and Vinícius initially started the match as a front-line pairing. 

This duo then began to attack from Madrid’s left, attempting to draw out Dortmund’s right side. Terzic’s team soon worked midfield numbers across to block and screen access from left-back Mendy (below). This opened up switches to Madrid’s right, with Kroos often the orchestrator as part of the converted back three. Valverde and Carvajal worked well when play was switched, combining to create on the right. They also dragged Adeyemi back into a defensive role, initially reducing his counter-attacking presence.

Dortmund also built with a back-three structure, converting from their 4-3-3. Similar to Kroos, captain Emre Can dropped into the back line to overload Madrid’s front pair (below). Left-back Ian Maatsen inverted into central midfield, joining Marcel Sabitzer in a double pivot that could occupy Madrid’s central midfield. Füllkrug and Julian Brandt – operating as a traditional nine and 10 pairing – then had more room between the lines, threatening up against Madrid’s centre-backs. Right-back Julian Ryerson advanced high where possible, to work around Jadon Sancho.

Although Dortmund had less possession in the first half, they created significant chances. Their penetrative passing during build-up and when counter-attacking, via runs behind the Madrid back line, caused the Spanish champions significant problems. Sancho, Brandt, Füllkrug and Adeyemi all threatened beyond.

In the 21st minute, Mats Hummels split Madrid’s block with a superb pass to find Adeyemi (below), who couldn’t finish despite taking the ball around Thibaut Courtois. Füllkrug then hit the inside of the post with another run in behind minutes later, as Madrid clung on in the first period.

Madrid suffer, then adapt

Dortmund played the same way as the second half began, with Maatsen inverting as part of a deeper unit of five who covered and protected against any Madrid counter-attacks (below). The Bundesliga side had more possession as they built patiently, with their adapted front line of five pinning Madrid’s back line, and Sancho drifting inside to create space for the overlapping Ryerson. They struggled to break down Madrid’s low block, however, and possibly could have deployed more players forward in this period of dominating the ball.

Emerging unscathed, Madrid began to work their way back on to the ball. In possession, Bellingham, Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga operated as a midfield trio, with Kroos dropping into the back line. Carvajal continued to attack much higher than Mendy, but now Ancelotti placed Rodrygo and Vinícius as wingers, attacking from both wide areas against Dortmund’s full-backs (below). They duly showed their 1v1 qualities, gaining territory, winning set-pieces high up the pitch and creating chances.

This ultimately turned the game in Madrid’s favour. Once they got their nose in front from Carvajal’s opener, the tide well and truly turned. For Dortmund, it was a second Champions League final defeat at Wembley, following their 2013 loss to Bayern Munich. For Real Madrid, they can now add England to the long list of countries in which they have claimed club football’s most illustrious prize.

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